Metallic substitute for pneumatic tires



Dec. 29, 1942. E. s. GANDRUD I v METALLIC SUBSTITUTE FOR PNEUMATIC TIRES I File'd Jime 11, 1942 AZZormys Patented Dec. 29, 1942,

.EMETAIZLIC :SIJBSTJTU T11: FOR PNEUMATIC TIRES Ebenhard S. Gandrudfowa'tonna, Minn. .Application Junell, 1942 ,.Serial ,No.%446,565

(emu-s7) 14 Claims.

My :present invention :provides an .efiicient.;metal1ic-1tire especially adapted for use asan emergency'substitute for rmeurnatic tires; :and gen- :erally stated, the .invention :consists of "the'novel devices, combinationrof devices,.and.arrangernent of parts hereinafter -:described and defined in :the claims.

More definitely stated, Lthis improved metallic tire is so designed :that "it may be readily apgplied to a'wheel rim5that wasoriginally designed for the application thereto of a'ipneumaticttire, land which, when this "metallic tire is applied thereto, will have the diameter of a properly applied, or originally'intendeid tire, :and will act as an efficient, thoughtless resilient substitute efor the pneumatic tire. The :rim of ithe tire attachment may be madereitherssmooth or' with traction lugs or projections.

.For an important reason, to Joe-hereinafter fully noted, "tension .bars :orrods :are rigidly secured to'theinteriorofxthe tire'rim,-and attheir .endssare Lrigidlysecure'd "thereto. This securing 0f .the *tension bars to the interior 'of the tire interposed wedge-acting laterally contractibleand endwise extensible struts. These struts are made up of outwardly converging wedge-acting :plates, the outer ends of which engage the tire rrim-and the inner ends'of which are seated in the channel ofthe wheel rim. By means of bolts 5102,5586. therethro-ugh, the converging strut plates :can be drawn more closelyxtogether, thereby con- "tracting the struts and increasing the operative llength thereof, so thatthe struts will be frictionally but very firmly anchored to the wheel rim.

The above noted general 'features and other highly important features and actions are illustrated in the accompanying drawing wherein like characters indicate like parts throughout the" several views Referring to the drawing:

Fig. l is a side elevation of the improved tire attachment showing the same applied to .a wheel rim normallydesigned for the application thereto of a pneumatic tire, some parts of the wheel rim .being broken away and some parts being shown --in section;.

:horizontal section "taken approximately won the :"Iine :2;2 of :-'Fig. 21';

3 is aa fragmentary view showing iparts f0l1l1dfil1ii7h6 'vicinity of the line *marke'd 3.':3 on l, :but with :the shut members removed;

:zand

Fig. 4 is. side -.elevation looking at one of athe plates iofzone (if the struts.

;-As already indicated, ,thB wheel may vary in zforrn but. is assumed to "have an externally zchann'ele'd metallic rim lii. ';'-I'he;particu1ar wheel ShOWIl involvesqalso a hub and-spokes 42.

The .rim of-the :rnetallic tire attachment is indicated by vthe :numeral It and, *as *ShOWILTiS :a swide-iaeed :steel band-which, :for particular 'EWhESl, shouldtbemf a diam'eter 'equal-to thee-xternal diameter of a pneumatic tire properly applied ito ;;the -,pa-rticular :wheel. Tension bars M, preferably of flat steel andwconsiderablyi nar- ;rower .thanathe: rim -':l,-3,:.-are, :at. their ends, formed integral, and :are welded to the interior'of the rim 51:3. The abutting or integrally, formed end portions of the; tension-:bars M'are'wel-ded to V therrim t3-zbywweld formed lugs 45 that-:extend on the interiorof the *rim tilt outward- 011 bot-h -sides-:of the tension bars,"toformispacing ribs 45'. Phe number :of the ftension 'bars or -rod forming portions may ,be varied, but 'for the 'particular wheel shown,1the rim I3 is provided Wl JhLSlXFDfijhEfiEtld tensioncportions and hence, ;a r-corresponding 'number -;of struts are employed in -connection with this attachment.

:Eachastrut ismadeup oftwoplates it. :These pl-ates 46, @at' their'inner-wends, :fit the channel .of the -wheel :rim I Hi, ;-at least to E'SllChtll :exten't ;that;they;are anchoredon i-the wheel rimadj-aenentand inzcloseiengagement with theflanges thereof. The outer ends of these plates'lfi entg'fi se =the interior of [the rim 53 fat :the welded ror-z-ancho-redends .ofthetension bars and in close r ngagementwith' the-spacing ribs l'5, which lat- :tBI'qSQIVG to definitely "SDace'the outer ends "of the struts. ,--At their outer endsgthe plates 1-6 .have notches' llethat -clear and straddle the welded end portions :of the-tension bars, with :the .-extremeouteriaterallyspaced ends of-the .sai'd platespressing against-the interior of-the ,ri-m l3xon oppositeesidespf the en'ds "of thetension-bars. 'Ifherstrut-formingplates lfi are considerably vlonger'than the space between "the Trims f) and l-3, and this causesthe said plates lto diverge inwardly, radially-of the tire structure. Nuteequipped bolts :5 Bare "passed I through I the inner ends of the plates-fifi and-when tight E19 is a View partly in plan :and partlynn ;5,5 eened draw;theinnenends:oftheplatesinto ,very

tight frictional engagement with the wheel rim [0, and at the same time press the outer ends of the struts radially outward against the interior of the rim [3. The plates l6 are shown as provided with longitudinal reinforcing ribs l9 and with thickened base portions 29.

When the tire attachment is applied as shown and above described, it will be very firmly locked to'the wheel rim, and will be centered in respect thereto. The outward pressure of the tightened struts will put tension on the bars I4 and the latter will resist any shifting of the outer portions of the struts in respect to the rim l3 or of the rim IS in respect to the wheel rim. When the bolts I8 are tightened, high tension will be put on the strut plates and rotary shifting of the tire rim in respect to the wheel rim will be resisted not only by the tension thus applied, but by the further fact that attempted rotation of rim l3 in respect to rim It, in a clockwise direction, for example, would simply tend to move the outer end of the advanced plate and cause the inner end thereof to more tightly bite against the wheel rim. The struts, moreover, anchor the rim I3 to the wheel rim against lateral or sidewise shifting or tilting movements. The strut plates are quite wide and are anchored against the wheel rim adjacent to both rims thereof, and

the outer ends of the strut plates engage the interior of rim l3 nearly or quite to its outer edges.

Under the outward pressure of the struts, and under load strains, the tension bars take the greater part of the strain and relieve the strain on the tire rim, and keep the tire rim concentric to the wheel rim. Moreover, these tension bars take strains produced by a load on any one of the several rim segments that happen to be engaged with the ground, and flattening of the tire rim is thus resisted.

The tire rim and the strut plates are made as wide, or substantially as wide as the channel in the wheel rim; and this gives lateral stability to the tire attachment. The tension bars are made much narrower. than the tire rim, and the outer ends of the strut plates are notched to give an interlocking action that locks the tire rim against lateral shifting movements on the outer ends of said strut plates.

The wheel rim illustrated has six struts, and hence six tension acting bars or rods, but of course, the number of these elements will depend considerably on the diameter and circumference of the wheel and rim. The tension acting bars or members are preferably made from a single bar or rod bent to proper polygonal form, in-

serted into the tire rim by a single operation, and then welded to the interior of the rim, as already indicated.

As is evident, the attachment may be very quickly and easily applied to a wheel rim of the above described or similar character. The attachment is not intended as full or completely satisfactory substitute for a pneumatic tire, but for use chiefly where pneumatic tires can not be obtained. However, it is well adapted to be carried as an emergency tire for application to the wheel of an automobile or pneumatic tireequipped vehicle, in case of a puncture or blowout when an additional pneumatic tire is not available. Modern vehicle wheels adapted for equipment of pneumatic tires are of such less diameter than the diameter of the tire, that the wheel rim can not be used to drive the car or vehicle on the wheel rim itself.

It will, of course, be understood that various alterations in the structure herein illustrated may be made within the scope of the invention herein disclosed and claimed.

What I claim is:

1. A metallic tire comprising a rim and a plurality of endwise extensible struts circumferentially spaced within said tire rim with their outer ends reacting against said .rim, the inner end portions of said struts being constructed and arranged for clamping engagement with the rim of a wheel that is of much less diameter than said tire rim, and tension bars anchored to the inlit) terior of said wheel rim and extending between the points of contact of said struts with said tire rim.

2. The combination with a wheel having an externally channeled rim, of a tire rim of much greater diameter than said wheel rim, concentrically spaced around the latter, and endwise extensible struts circumferentially spaced within said tire rim with their outer ends reacting against the interior of said tire rim and with their inner portions clamped against said wheel rim, and tension rods anchored to the interior of said tire rim and extending between points of contact of said struts with said tire rim.

3. The structure defined in claim 1 in which said struts are formed by diverging plates provided at their inner ends with means for drawing the same closer together to thereby endwise extend the same.

4. The structure defined in claim 1 in which said struts are formed by diverging plates provided at their inner ends with means for drawing the same closer together to thereby endwise extend the same, said strut plates, at their outer ends, being notched to clear and straddle the adjacent anchored ends of said tension bars.

5. The structure defined in claim 1 in which said struts are formed by diverging plates provided at their inner ends with means for drawing the same closer together to thereby endwise extend the same, said strut plates, at their outer ends, being notched to clear and straddle the adjacent anchored ends of said tension' bars, the ends of said tension bars being anchored to said tire rim by weldings that form spacing lugs against which the extreme outer ends of said strut plates engage,

6. The structure defined in claim 1 in which said struts are formed by diverging plates provided at their inner ends with means for drawing the same closer together to thereby endwise extend the same, said strut plates, at their outer ends, being notched to clear and straddle the adjacent anchored ends of said tension bars, the ends of said tension bars being anchored to said tire rim by weldings that form spacing lugs against which the extreme outer ends of said strut plates engage, said tensicn bars be ng much narrower than said tire rim and the said welded spacing lugs being extended transversely on both sides thereof.

'7. The combination with a wheel having an externally channeled rim, of a tire rim of much greater diameter than said wheel r m. concentrically spaced around the latter, and endwise extensible structs circumferentially spaced within said tire rim, said struts being made up each of two outwardly diverging plates, the outer ends of which react against the interior of said tire rim and the inner portions of which are clamped against the channeled rim of said wheel, draw bolts operative on the inner ends of said strut plates to draw the same closer together and increase the operative length thereof, and tension rods within said tire rim having ends welded to the latter at substantially contacting points, said tension rods being of materially less width than said tire rim, and the plates of said struts being notched at their outer ends to straddle or embrace the welded ends of said tension rods.

8. The structure defined in claim 7 in which said tire rim and strut plates are substantially as wide as the channel of said wheel rim.

9. The structure defined in claim 1, in which said tension bars are formed from an integral bar, bent into polygonal form, inserted into said tire rim, and welded to the latter with its salient angles in contact therewith, and welded thereto.

10. The structure defined in claim 2, in which said tension bars are formed from an integral bar, bent into polygonal form, inserted into said tire rim, and welded to the latter with its salient angles in contact therewith, and welded thereto.

11. A wheel structure involving an inner rim having its own hub and spokes, an outer tire rim spaced around said inner rim, spoke-acting struts independent of the spokes of said inner rim interposed between said wheel rim and tire rim, and tension-acting members anchored to the interior of said tire rim and extending between the points of contact between the said strut-acting spokes v and tire rim.

12. A wheel structure involving a hub and an outer tire acting rim, spoke-acting means connecting said hub to said rim and spacing the latter from said hub, and tension-acting members anchored to the interior of said tire rim and extending on straight lines along the chord of said rim and reinforcing the latter at a plurality of points.

13. A wheel structure involving a hub and a tire-acting rim, spoke-acting struts interposed between said hub and rim structures and contacting the latter at circumferentially spaced points, and tension-acting members extending from the points of contacts with said spoke-acting struts along the line of chords of the rim, from the several points of contact between said struts and'rim.

14. A metallic tire comprising a rim and a plurality of endwise extensible struts circumferentially spaced within said tire rim with their outer ends reacting against said rim, the inner end portions of said struts being constructed and arranged ior clamping engagement with the rim of a wheel that is of much less diameter than said tire rim, and in which structure said struts are formed by diverging plates provided at their inner ends with means-for drawing the same closer together to thereby endwise extend the same.

EBENHARD S. GANDRUD. 

